NY Times publishes inside-plane photos of shoe-bomb incident

The New York Times ^ | Dec 30, 2001 | NY Times

[the_second_moon]

Jean-Claude Joly was sitting a few rows back from Richard C. Reid on Flight 63 from Paris to Miami on Dec. 22 when the plane erupted in confusion after Mr. Reid tried to light a fuse coming out of his sneaker. Mr. Joly grabbed his camera and captured the scene in these photos, purchased by The New York Times after they were made available on Friday. In this first picture, about eight passengers used belts and earphone wires to tie up Mr. Reid. They would later say they thought he was drunk.

A flight attendant searched the small knapsack that was Mr. Reid's only luggage and found a passport identifying him as a British citizen.

Two doctors, including the man in red, then injected Mr. Reid with a sedative from the on-board medical kit.

The plane was diverted to Boston, and in the two hours of flight remaining, passengers including Kwame James, a professional basketball player, took turns standing guard over Mr. Reid. Mr. James later said he was amazed at how difficult it was to restrain Mr. Reid. "He was almost possessed," Mr. James said.

[Bogey78O]

woukdn't that have killed him? Oh wait...I getcha...(wink wink)

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

To find all articles tagged or indexed using AA Flight 63

Click here: AA Flight 63

[DooDahhhh]

OK Someone put Tourist Guy in that first photo...I am waiting

[yazd]

Can you trust that these are really pictures from the shoe bomb incident? Why are there no pictures of the guy who had the bomb?

Right. And the ACLU no has all they need to get him off scott free ...

No photo of the crime was taken even though photographers were on the scene.

The accused was attacked by a horde of strangers who had not been harmed by him in any way.

The strangers searched his personal belongings without a warrant in violation of the fourth amendment.

They injected him with chemicals without performing a proper screening of his medical history in violation of the eighth amendment.

They bound him and denied him is right of freedom of movement in violation of the fifth amendment.

No one read him his Miranda rights ... and he probably did not get the lunch he paid for ... nor a refund.

All this, even though there was no true danger since later investigation showed his alleged shoebombs could not be ignited due to wet fuses.

Which raises the final point: The guy is too dumb to stand trial if he doesn't even know enough to stay out of the rain while wearing shoe bombs!!! ;-)

[lowbridge]

OK Someone put Tourist Guy in that first photo...I am waiting

[Congressman Billybob]

It IS a conspiracy. The Vast Terrorist Wing Conspiracy.

Just look at the travel pattern of the perp. He has no visible means of support, yet he went to seven countries in one year. My wife and I have to save up two years and wait for a two-for-one sale to make a trip out of the US.

We know the perp had help, certainly to pay for his travel and probably to rig up the explosives in his shoes. He's not wealthy enough for the former, nor smart enough for the latter.

The "lone Shoe Bomber" theory just won't wash.

Congressman Billybob

Click and bookmark for fun in the morning. FReepers are invited to call in.

[Congressman Billybob]

He wasn't right next to the perp. By the time he got his camera out of the bag and the lens cap off, the perp was surrounded by people doing what comes naturally.

Sheesh. Some things are self-evident. Only professional photographers keep their cameras armed and ready at all times in case something extraordinary happens in a split second. This guy was an amateur, who at least got his exposure settings right.

Congressman Billybob

[lawdude]

There is nothing in these pictures to suggest a relationship with the "Shoe Bomber".

[Cobra64]

Fly much? Pictures are of a bunch of morons getting on a plane, jostling and packing too much baggage. These shots are status quo for the travelling public.

[Praxeologue]

Right. And the ACLU no has all they need to get him off scott free ... No photo of the crime was taken even though photographers were on the scene. The accused was attacked by a horde of strangers who had not been harmed by him in any way. The strangers searched his personal belongings without a warrant in violation of the fourth amendment. They injected him with chemicals without performing a proper screening of his medical history in violation of the eighth amendment. They bound him and denied him is right of freedom of movement in violation of the fifth amendment. No one read him his Miranda rights ... and he probably did not get the lunch he paid for ... nor a refund. All this, even though there was no true danger since later investigation showed his alleged shoebombs could not be ignited due to wet fuses. Which raises the final point: The guy is too dumb to stand trial if he doesn't even know enough to stay out of the rain while wearing shoe bombs!!! ;-)

The passengers and crew were in hot pursuit.

In any event, the plane was outside the United States.

Further, no one had reason to believe that the fuse was wet, even if it was.

I don't see any constitutional issues.

[MississippiMan]

I love the stewardess at the front of the plane who looks to be calmly pouring a drink as if all is well with the world.

MM

[harrypotterslovechild]

You ask if you can trust these are pictures of the actual plane incident. Well, considering that they show the faces of many of the people who were actually on the plane, I think you can rest assured that if they were bogus, upon their publication the actual people involved would have stepped forward to make that claim. Also, these pictures were taken by a passenger (a verifiable fact). Not a lot of margin for error here.

[YaYa123]

Life imitating art.

The other night I watched a new show on CBS. It follows "Survivor", stars the guy who played Isabella Rosselini's car salesman husband in the marvelous movie, "Cousins".

Anyway, it's about a Las Vegas police force forensic team, and this plot would have seemed unbelievable if not for Reid and his shoe, and other recent inflight instances where passengers are heros because they "took care" of a dangerous passenger. In the plot, a passenger becomes unruly, crazed, beligerant, and the forensic team has to figure out why and how he died on the plane, before it landed in Las Vegas. Turns out, the unruly passenger had a splitting headache from encephelitis, went beserk, but the other passengers, including a doctor, killed him before he could do harm to the plane, and then they lied to cover it up.

SuzanneC, am I making this up?

[YaYa123]

So who's the guy in disguise? He's in more than one picture,just sort of lurking, he's wearing a leather jacket (isn't that wierd he didn't take it off for the flight?), and he's got on one of those dark commando woolen skull caps. Not your average high fashion French traveler. But I'm just being silly....the police said they looked for and found, no co-conspirators.

[onyx]

Packed-in like sardines. Wonder why Mohammed Reid didn't cough-up the money for First Class? Cheap terrorist b@stard.

[yazd]

I don't see any constitutional issues.

Even if you think you are a lawyer, your application to join the ACLU is denied. ;)

[115thINTC]

Can you trust that these are really pictures from the shoe bomb incident? Why are there no pictures of the guy who had the bomb?

No. Obvously they were produced by The Men In Black who have a nice tin hat waiting for disbelievers

[Bogey78O]

It's called CSI. I saw that episode.

[lowbridge]

So who's the guy in disguise? He's in more than one picture,just sort of lurking, he's wearing a leather jacket (isn't that wierd he didn't take it off for the flight?), and he's got on one of those dark commando woolen skull caps. Not your average high fashion French traveler.

Good eye! He works for French security.